


A worthy sacrifice

by NorthCompass



Category: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Genre: Angst and Romance, Character Death, F/M, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 20:33:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30010548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthCompass/pseuds/NorthCompass
Summary: Is it worth it?
Relationships: Arthur/The Mage (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), Vortigern (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	A worthy sacrifice

Even in the end, he didn’t consider about this. 

He knew he would be dammed to hell, haunted by those whom their souls were taken cruelly under his biddings. 

Was he scared? Not really, he deserved it. It would happen when his time came. If not, he would still be here, doing what he had been doing all the time. 

Ever since the day he killed his wife, he knew could not turn back, no matter how much grief he carried all the way. He couldn’t find guilt nor grief as he killed his sister in-law and his brother. It was the jealous rage and covetous desire drove him all those years.

When Arthur told him he had not desire for the throne, he believed in him. Arthur was not a man of ambition, nor a vicious one liked him. He could had let him go, and they would part ways, as if nothing happened. Or, he could just drive a dagger into his chest, left his body hung in the public and burnt away. 

But when he eyed this young man, his nephew. He realised Uther had been all along here. His ghost lingered in the shadows, his son dwelled in the streets of Londonium. How desperate he wanted to drive him away, to put him into shame and deceptions. Executing his last offspring before the people liked a witless fraud who offended the king. 

Through the his wicked days. He was almost all himself if without his beloved daughter and his fiancé. Perhaps they were both of his salvation.

‘The kingdom is in chaos. It’s safer in here. It will be the best if you and Catia stays here,’ Votigern said as he chewed his cake. Penelope taking the wine at the opposite side 

‘Your majesty,’ she stopped for a moment. ‘I think it will be the best if we leave.’ Votigern stopped eating and stared at her.

‘Catia and I have talked. We seek to leave for now. We may move to the northern towers and take shelter until the riots are over,’ she explained.

‘They won’t step into this castle as long as I’m here,’ Votigern said.

‘But the riots have been thriving. Even Londunium is in disorder. Catia is scared. We will never question you, my Lord. All I want is to ensure Catia’s safety,’ Penelope said.

Vortigern sighed. ‘Of course you did,’ she was speaking the truth. ‘I know you love my daughter so much. And you will do anything to keep her safe, just like her mother,’ he said.

‘But you’re not trying to keep her safe from here.’

‘Me. It is me you’re keeping her from.’

Penelope titled her head and looked at him.

‘You’re scared what I’m going to do to her. Because when the time comes, which I don’t want it come. She may suffer from what her mother suffered from.’

‘You saw it. Your visions told you so,’ his voice was still smooth. Something painful roiled in her stomach, Penelope gasped and stood up, sprinting her way out from the dining room, climbing upstairs as she clutched her abdomen. It felt liked burning, it was corroding from inside. She steps weakened, whimpering as she stumbled across the empty chamber. Her anxiety had made her lost her way. Not knowing where was she, just in another room of the castle. The king climbed the stairs slowly without chasing her. Penelope grasped the edge of the table, mouth coughing black blood, tears falling her eyes while she gasped for breath.

She was born from an old family. But her mother was a mage in secret. There were barely anyone knew about this. 

When Elsa came along, she was willing to give up her dreams. So he could be with the one he truly loved. But when she died, he came for her and asked her hand. It had been so long and even without love, he thought of her from time to time. She believed she could be his new start and she could sooth his agony. Yet when she knew what he did, she had no choice but to stop him. 

He would be punished for what he did, and she wanted to avert her eyes. She was the one who sought Bedivere first, and ever since that, the rebellion was never perished. This was what had been opposing her will all those years.

She wept and shook her head, didn’t flinch as he titled her chin. It’s been a while since she saw his eyes were filled with sorrow. Also, she knew what Votigern store for her too.

‘It doesn’t worth. It never worths it...’ she croaked meekly. She could hear his voice cracked through the facade.

‘It doesn’t matter anymore...I do what needs to be done,’ he whispered. Penelope felt the pain was fading, the visions went dark even though she didn’t close her eyes. Vortigern held her body close. His wailing voice echoed in the empty chamber. Forcing himself to stand up, he carried her body to the tower and placed her in a crystal coffin, where her body would not decay.

* * *

Arthur had a dream. He saw his uncle, standing by a grey river in a damp cave. He hugged his former wife tightly, as he jabbed a knife into her. He cried so hard, but he still rang the bell. Placing her body into the water, letting it drifted away as the tentacle appeared from the surface, wrapping her and pulling her into the depths.

The next day, he had the same dream. This time he was holding another woman’s body. She had golden curly hair liked sunshine, and glossy red lips with warm pale skin. She wore a blue silky dress and her body dropped. There were no wounds in her body. When her face met with the eerie light from the creaks of the cave, her lips were no longer rose red, but rather a type of poisonous one mixed with black and scarlet. The tentacles dragged her away. When Votigern snapped his eyes open, they were all pale. He walked away, climbing back to the tower, waiting for Arthur’s arrival. And that’s how the story went.

After becoming king, Arthur spared a huge amount of souls. Started by the youngsters who were enforced into the rank of Balcklegs. As well as disbanding this damned military. 

He remained Catia’s title. The princess was now free. She would be supported and sponsored well. And she could marry whoever she wanted, from a nobleman to a commoner. They did have a little reminder of each other’s face. It was hard for her to accept her father’s death. Yet it was inevitable alas, for what he had done upon the people.

Arthur peered over the city of Camelot. He was the master of this kingdom now, the one who upheld the greatest power in Britannia. Yet he shivered from fear.

‘I scared,’ he told Guinevere, the mage’s real name. 

‘Now I have everything. And I will lose more, more than anyone can imagine,’ he muttered as he watched the sun rose.

He felt a warm hand took his, as she came closer to him.

‘Then protect them. Keep them loved, treasure them more than anything else. And here your power builds. It all starts from here.’ Her hands glided to his chest. 

Arthur smiled at her. Now she was more than who enthroned him. For that, he would keep her safe and cherish her for all eternity. Not allowing anything pulled them apart, definitely not himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are all welcomed.


End file.
